VLC 1.1.0 don't unload when closed under XP

[axanon]

this thread is online for too long ...and NO help?

[VLC_help]

AFAIK there isn't any proper workaround for this. Only way is that someone traces the bug and provides a fix for it.

[frimpme]

Maybe this additional information will help.

I'm having the same problem, but I have the video showing in a separate window - not the main VLC control panel. I suggest it's a problem specifically regarding the video. See here:

Once the video finishes, and the process hangs:
* If I click the X in the video window, nothing closes.
* When I click the X for the control panel (the main VLC window), it closes, but the video window hangs around (as well as the process).
* If I kill the process, both vanish.
* If I double-click something else to play, nothing happens (because the process has stopped responding).

Additionally, any method of closing (clicking X, CTRL+Q, etc) will close successfully as long as it hasn't reached the end, and hung.

[123456789]

Confirmed same here for xp3 both v1.1.1 and v.1.1.2 versions. Previous version installed v1.0.5 didn't have this problem.

[Reinhart]

I too have to confirm this bug.

If on any of my Windows XP machines I close any VLC version 1.1.0, 1.1.1 or 1.1.2 by pressing its window "X" symbol (top right), VLC usually keeps running as invisible task without a window, and prevents loading a new instance of VLC.

That bug prevents us to use VLC version 1.1.x at all on any Windows XP machine.
(We XP users are still the majority of Windows users, isn't it?)
So we've to stick with version 1.0.x which works stable.

How could we help fixing this nasty little bug?

[MullerMan]

Does anyone know if the bug you talk about also occurs in Windows Vista?

[Reinhart]

Does anyone know if the bug you talk about also occurs in Windows Vista?

No, I don't know.

But on all my Windows XP machines it occurs for sure and it's a real show stopper.

[VLC_help]

Does anyone know if the bug you talk about also occurs in Windows Vista?

At least I can't replicate this on Vista or in 2k3 server so I would guess this only bothers XP and younger.

[MullerMan]

VLC_help

So no need to clear preferences and cache prior to installing VLC new version in Vista?
Am i right?

[VLC_help]

This problem isn't preferences or cache related AFAIK.

[SoBugMeNot]

Downgraded to 1.0.5 Goldeneye, not going to complain, it's free after all, great program, thanks to the developers, will wait patiently for fix.

[solazy]

Downgraded to 1.0.5 Goldeneye, not going to complain, it's free after all, great program, thanks to the developers, will wait patiently for fix.

Just did same as you (downgraded from 1.1.2 to 1.0.5) for the same reason.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Could you guys try this one?
http://www.jbkempf.com/~jb/libqt4_plugin.dll


This is a plugin to replace the original one for testing purposes.

How to proceed:

- First exit and close VLC. Make sure in Task Manager there is no hidden instance running anymore.

- Go to the Plugins folder of your VLC installation folder ( usually C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\plugins ) and backup the original libqt4_plugin.dll (e.g. copy the DLL to another safe location). So in case of troubles you can restore the original DLL at any moment.

- Replace the original DLL with the test one.

- Now you can test VLC under different states: while VLC is not playing, while VLC is playing audio only files, while VLC is playing different formats video files (H.264/AVC, MPEG-2, etc...).

- Please report the results of your tests in this thread.

[solazy]

Hello j-b
Didn't know you also placed the link here.
I tried it carefully (back to 1.1.2), no change : the bug is still there.
(explanations of installation and try already sent to you, before I answer here)

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

I updated it. Can you retry?

[solazy]

Problem remains on my computer (XP SP2) : the "X" button doesn't close Vlc 1.1.2, even with that very last dll (note it's exactly the same size as the nightly test dll, i.e. 10 911 744 bytes, but their content is different, as indicates a file compare tool)

I wonder if this problem would have happened with the unreleased 1.0.6 version.
If the issue would have started with 1.0.6 and if all update logs are present to know what changes were exactly done between 1.05 and 1.0.6, maybe it would be possible to check what was the code change that made this issue appear ? (or even check between 1.0.5 and 1.1.0 but I'm pretty sure j-b checked this already)

Or is it a Microsoft XP update that created the problem ? Who knows...
I'm sure many persons at Microsoft use Vlc, maybe asking for their assistance would help to solve the issue ?

[VLC_help]

Microsoft will help if they are paid =)

[solazy]

Microsoft will help if they are paid =)

Well Vlc_help, I see your "smiling smiley" at the end of your answer
Maybe I'm naive, but honestly I believe in people free help on certain occasions.

I'm pretty sure nearly ALL guys at Microsoft have Vlc installed on their PC's (even Bill !)
If there was a public poll, we'd all be surprised to see how many users installed Vlc throughout the world (Microsoft guy's included)

I read in a magazine that when Windows 7 started, tests were made and showed some vids couldn't be played natively on Windows 7...but Vlc could play them !
That's why I believe they could help you for free, because they use Vlc too.
The only commercial reason that could stop them would be : "great, Vlc has problems with XP only, we won't do anything so a few users will maybe migrate to Windows 7"

If a part of their staff would think that way (without saying it openly of course) while they use Vlc on a daily basis, then it would be very unfair from their part not to give you a little help.
But well...I'm writing a whole scenario now. If you think it's worthwhile to TRY, then let them read all this thread.
Maybe we all would be surprised with their positive reaction, even if it's not Christmas time...

Have a great week-end, all of you Vlc users

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

The second dll has exactly the same code for Ctrl+Q and X

So, seriously, I bet a video driver is at fault.

Try direct3D output module.

[wraythex]

I noticed something before (and after) updating the dll. I think this problem may have to do with threading in vlc. Let me describe two tests that I ran that always come out the same on my system. (I used Process Explorer from SysIntenals to see how many threads vlc had)

Test 1:
start blank vlc, gives 7 threads
while vlc has focus, click X, still shows 7 threads (start timer here)
at 1:30, vlc goes from 7 to 6 threads
at 5:00, vlc goes from 6 to 5 threads
at 6:00, vlc closes

Test 2:
start blank vlc, gives 7 threads
while vlc has focus, click X, still shows 7 threads (start timer here)
open a new folder, vlc closes immediately

I don't know why opening a new folder would cause vlc to close, but it does. If you navigate to a different folder inside an already open folder, you will see no change in vlc. It is only when you open a new folder that vlc will close. For example, when double-clicking "My Computer", or when double-clicking a folder shortcut, or when you right-click on the Start button and select Explore, all of these actions will close the phantom vlc process.

I am running version 1.1.2 of vlc (with the new dll it reports itself as 1.1.3).

With either the new or the old dll, I have never seen vlc close completely when I just opened up vlc by itself (no media files), and then clicked X.

With the old dll, I never saw it close immediately after closing vlc that was playing media (mp3, mpeg4, xvid, h264).
With the new dll, I'm getting mixed results (with either the default or Direct3D video output module). Sometimes it will close immediately, sometimes it will still hang around.

I have an ATI FireGL V3400. I did have some old video drivers, but I updated them today. I am still seeing the same behavior mentioned above. I don't think it is a video driver issue as I am seeing the vlc process hang around even after the file opened was an mp3.

I know a little bit about programming, but not much about threaded programs. I noticed the following comment in the source code: in /src/win32/thread.c at line 388:
/* SRW (Slim Read Write) locks are available in Vista+ only */
Could this have any bearing on this issue? I tried to go through the code to see what might be causing this, but I can't seem to track it down. Might it be possible to create a version that writes information to a file as threads open and/or close? I'd be willing to run a special version if that could help track this down. Thank you for working on this and helping us try to fix this issue.

[solazy]

With the new dll, I'm getting mixed results (with either the default or Direct3D video output module). Sometimes it will close immediately, sometimes it will still hang around

Hello,
Same for me : Direct3D video output module doesn't close Vlc each time (with original dll or new dll)

By the way, i notice this : if you don't allow one instance (which is the default i guess : don't allow), then you can start as many blanks vlc as you wish : each time you close one with "X" , it stays in systray (and in Task manager)
You can have 10 Vlc icons in Systray after having opened blank Vlc's and closing them with "X"
But if you open one movie with Vlc and quit with "X" (vlc icon stays in systray) then you can't open another movie unless you close vlc icon first : that's the problem noticed by many XP users.
Blank Vlc openings are definitely very different from movie Vlc openings.

Also I second wraythex's words : clicking on "My computer" (or "Control Panel" or "Printers" or "Search") closes Vlc icon !
This is really strange : why all these external actions force Vlc to close ?

[MullerMan]

Update

I tried version 1.1.2 on Vista for a few days, and it seems that no problem occurs on it.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

And what about Direct3D module all the time?

[Cobaltvlc]

Could you guys try this one?
http://www.jbkempf.com/~jb/libqt4_plugin.dll

- Please report the results of your tests in this thread.

Don't works for me. I also changed the output to directx, direct3d, opengl, with the same result.

[Xeon2X]

Could you guys try this one?
http://www.jbkempf.com/~jb/libqt4_plugin.dll


This is a plugin to replace the original one for testing purposes.

I rolled back to the 1.1.0-rc for the past week since it doesn't seem to have this particular 'no terminate' quirk on my system. This week I reinstalled 1.1.2 and tried the above suggestion with the new libqt4_plugin.dll to no avail same problem, but it gave me the idea of trying the 1.1.0-rc version of the libqt4_plugin.dll file in the 1.1.2 install and I don't seem to have the problem anymore. At least the problem hasn't shown up in the 20 or videos I've played. Of course when you click Help-About it shows the older version number.